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As the school year winds down, many athletes in the Greater Savannah area are in the final stages of their high school careers ― with some of the top players ready to ― take the next step to compete at the college level.
There were three spring signing ceremonies in Savannah last week as athletes from Calvary Day, Savannah Christian and Windsor Forest set their futures in motion as they put pen to paper in signing ceremonies at their respective campuses.
Here's a look at where some of Savannah's top athletes will be continuing their athletic careers in college.
Heidik is a senior leader and the catcher is the anchor of the Calvary Day baseball team, the defending Class A-3A Private state champions.
He is hitting .308 with a .423 OBP and five doubles and 20 RBIs this season with just one error.
"I liked USCB because it has a great program and is close to home," Heidik said between games of the Cavs first-round playoff sweep of Galloway. "I've built a strong relationship with the coaching staff there and its has a beautiful campus."
Heidik said he plans to major in broadcast journalism.
Brown was a first-team All-Greater Savannah selection and was named the Region 3-3A Offensive Player of the Year. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and helped lead the Cavs to a region title and to the quarterfinals of the Private School state playoffs.
Llerena is a standout and key player for the Cavs with his goal scoring ability. He helped lead the Cavs to a first-round playoff win over Savannah Christian last week.
Dean was a standout on the Calvary Day offensive line, a unit that helped the offense that averaged 43 points a game and reached the Class A-3A State finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder was an All-Region 3-3A first-team selection. He will play at Brevard College, a Division III program in North Carolina.
Terry was another vital cog on the offensive line for the Cavs, who averaged 171 yards rushing and 208 yards passing per game. The 6-2, 275-pounder earned honorable mention All-Region 3-3A honors. He is headed to play at Muskingum, a Division III program in Ohio.
Bauer is a standout pitcher for the Cavalier baseball team that just swept Galloway in the first round of the Private School State playoffs as he earned the win in the first game. He is 5-2 on the season with a 1.31 ERA. He is hitting .242 with a home run and 14 RBIs.
The versatile athlete is also the starting left fielder for the Raider baseball team. He was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick in football as a senior when he caught 46 passes for 877 yards and seven scores and ran for 53 yards. Hughes was an All-Region 3A Division I first-team pick and also a standout as a defensive back. He had 47 tackles with nine passes defended and three interceptions.
"I've wanted to play college football since I was a freshman at Savannah Christian, but thought I might not be able to after the season ended and I wasn't getting much interest," Hughes said after the Raiders swept Mt. Bethel in the first round of the state baseball playoffs Friday. "But then Furman got into touch with me in January. It's a great school and an opportunity I just couldn't pass up."
Melton was a key man on the Raiders stellar offensive line as he earned second team All-Region 3A Division I honors this year. He went both ways and had 39 tackles with four for losses and a pair of sacks for an SCPS squad that reached the state quarterfinals.
Austin is one of the most versatile high school athletes in Georgia. In addition to softball, she is a standout basketball, track, soccer and flag football for the Raiders. She was an All-Greater Savannah first-team selection in softball. She hit .537 in her senior season with 11 doubles, two triples, four homers, 23 RBIs and 28 runs with an OPS of 1.516 and 21 stolen bases. In the pitching circle, she fanned 136 batters in 97 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.87.
The standout middle infielder and pitcher is having a big senior season for the Raiders. He is hitting .386 with an OBP of .569 with 28 RBIs and 20 runs. He is also a standout on the mound with a 6-2 record and an ERA of 3.15.
Farkas is headed to the Georgia Southern-East Georgia program which is moving from a junior college to compete in the NAIA. The standout pitcher is 1-1 on the season for the Raiders.
Sikes is one of the top runners in the Coastal Empire. He set a personal best of 50.36 in the 400 meters in March and won the Area 3A Division I title in the event on April 23. He also took home the area title in the 200 meters with a PR time of 22.79, while finishing fourth in the area in the 100 meters (11.30).
Haddad is a three-time GIAA Girls High Overall State champion, a Scholastic Clay Target Program Southeast Region Champion and a National Overall runnerup. She began clay shooting as a seventh grader at Savannah Christian, where she also is a member of the cheerleading team. She plans to major in exercise science at Georgia Southern.
Waldhauer is a multi-dsicpline clay shooter who participates in skeet, trap and shooting clays. She started shooting as an eighth grader and quickly became a skilled shooter. She served as the team captain this year and plans to pursue as bilogy pre-med line of studies at Georgia Southern.
A four-year letterman at Savannah Christian, Saxon won the Headmaster's Award as a sophomore and the Top Gun Award as a senior. He was a Georgia All-State selection in 2024 and 2025. The team captain won the 2024 Skeet Shooting State title, shooting a perfect score. He plans to major in business management at Georgia Southern.
A four-year starter at guard for the Knights, Ellington earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors as a senior. She averaged 15.9 points per game this season and was an All-Region 3-3A first-team selection.
The talented attacking midfielder has been a longtime standout for the Knights. He told WTOC he was excited about competing at Allen College, the program based in Cuthbert, which is making the move from junior college to compete in the NAIA.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Spring signings ― Where Savannah area athletes are headed to play in college
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There were three spring signing ceremonies in Savannah last week as athletes from Calvary Day, Savannah Christian and Windsor Forest set their futures in motion as they put pen to paper in signing ceremonies at their respective campuses.
Here's a look at where some of Savannah's top athletes will be continuing their athletic careers in college.
Calvary Day
Waylan Heidik, baseball, University of South Carolina Beaufort
Heidik is a senior leader and the catcher is the anchor of the Calvary Day baseball team, the defending Class A-3A Private state champions.
He is hitting .308 with a .423 OBP and five doubles and 20 RBIs this season with just one error.
"I liked USCB because it has a great program and is close to home," Heidik said between games of the Cavs first-round playoff sweep of Galloway. "I've built a strong relationship with the coaching staff there and its has a beautiful campus."
Heidik said he plans to major in broadcast journalism.
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Demetrius Brown, basketball, Morris College
Brown was a first-team All-Greater Savannah selection and was named the Region 3-3A Offensive Player of the Year. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and helped lead the Cavs to a region title and to the quarterfinals of the Private School state playoffs.
Alejandro Llerena, soccer, Anderson University
Llerena is a standout and key player for the Cavs with his goal scoring ability. He helped lead the Cavs to a first-round playoff win over Savannah Christian last week.
Carson Dean, football, Brevard College
Dean was a standout on the Calvary Day offensive line, a unit that helped the offense that averaged 43 points a game and reached the Class A-3A State finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder was an All-Region 3-3A first-team selection. He will play at Brevard College, a Division III program in North Carolina.
Bryson Terry, football, Muskingum University
Terry was another vital cog on the offensive line for the Cavs, who averaged 171 yards rushing and 208 yards passing per game. The 6-2, 275-pounder earned honorable mention All-Region 3-3A honors. He is headed to play at Muskingum, a Division III program in Ohio.
Noah Bauer, baseball, Georgia Southern-East Georgia Campus
Bauer is a standout pitcher for the Cavalier baseball team that just swept Galloway in the first round of the Private School State playoffs as he earned the win in the first game. He is 5-2 on the season with a 1.31 ERA. He is hitting .242 with a home run and 14 RBIs.
Savannah Christian
Weston Hughes, football, Furman University
The versatile athlete is also the starting left fielder for the Raider baseball team. He was an All-Greater Savannah first-team pick in football as a senior when he caught 46 passes for 877 yards and seven scores and ran for 53 yards. Hughes was an All-Region 3A Division I first-team pick and also a standout as a defensive back. He had 47 tackles with nine passes defended and three interceptions.
"I've wanted to play college football since I was a freshman at Savannah Christian, but thought I might not be able to after the season ended and I wasn't getting much interest," Hughes said after the Raiders swept Mt. Bethel in the first round of the state baseball playoffs Friday. "But then Furman got into touch with me in January. It's a great school and an opportunity I just couldn't pass up."
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Davian Melton, football, Southeastern University
Melton was a key man on the Raiders stellar offensive line as he earned second team All-Region 3A Division I honors this year. He went both ways and had 39 tackles with four for losses and a pair of sacks for an SCPS squad that reached the state quarterfinals.
Jillian Austin, softball, Georgia Southern-East Georgia Campus
Austin is one of the most versatile high school athletes in Georgia. In addition to softball, she is a standout basketball, track, soccer and flag football for the Raiders. She was an All-Greater Savannah first-team selection in softball. She hit .537 in her senior season with 11 doubles, two triples, four homers, 23 RBIs and 28 runs with an OPS of 1.516 and 21 stolen bases. In the pitching circle, she fanned 136 batters in 97 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.87.
Brodie Schuman, baseball, Georgia Southern-East Georgia Campus
The standout middle infielder and pitcher is having a big senior season for the Raiders. He is hitting .386 with an OBP of .569 with 28 RBIs and 20 runs. He is also a standout on the mound with a 6-2 record and an ERA of 3.15.
Jackson Farkas, baseball, Georgia Southern-East Georgia Campus
Farkas is headed to the Georgia Southern-East Georgia program which is moving from a junior college to compete in the NAIA. The standout pitcher is 1-1 on the season for the Raiders.
Blane Sikes, track and field, Furman University
Sikes is one of the top runners in the Coastal Empire. He set a personal best of 50.36 in the 400 meters in March and won the Area 3A Division I title in the event on April 23. He also took home the area title in the 200 meters with a PR time of 22.79, while finishing fourth in the area in the 100 meters (11.30).
Emaline Haddad, clay shooting, Georgia Southern
Haddad is a three-time GIAA Girls High Overall State champion, a Scholastic Clay Target Program Southeast Region Champion and a National Overall runnerup. She began clay shooting as a seventh grader at Savannah Christian, where she also is a member of the cheerleading team. She plans to major in exercise science at Georgia Southern.
Bailey Waldhauer, clay shooting, Georgia Southern
Waldhauer is a multi-dsicpline clay shooter who participates in skeet, trap and shooting clays. She started shooting as an eighth grader and quickly became a skilled shooter. She served as the team captain this year and plans to pursue as bilogy pre-med line of studies at Georgia Southern.
Holden Saxon, clay shooting, Emmanuel University
A four-year letterman at Savannah Christian, Saxon won the Headmaster's Award as a sophomore and the Top Gun Award as a senior. He was a Georgia All-State selection in 2024 and 2025. The team captain won the 2024 Skeet Shooting State title, shooting a perfect score. He plans to major in business management at Georgia Southern.
Windsor Forest
Grace Ellington, basketball, Allen College
A four-year starter at guard for the Knights, Ellington earned All-Greater Savannah first-team honors as a senior. She averaged 15.9 points per game this season and was an All-Region 3-3A first-team selection.
Paul Coaxum, soccer, Allen College
The talented attacking midfielder has been a longtime standout for the Knights. He told WTOC he was excited about competing at Allen College, the program based in Cuthbert, which is making the move from junior college to compete in the NAIA.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Spring signings ― Where Savannah area athletes are headed to play in college
Continue reading...
